In an earlier post I referenced Richard Vedder, Director of the Center of College Affordability and Productivity - www.centerforcollegeaffordability.org (blogpost of Tuesday, January 31, 2012) In April 2011 he stated that nearly half of full-time students do not graduate in six years. An article, by Kelly Heyboer, published in the Sunday Star-Ledger of January 30, 2011 supports this claim and presents data about colleges and universities in the state of New Jersey. The federal Department of Education requires all schools to provide information as to how many of their freshmen graduate in either four or six years. Ms. Heyboer writes that, "A Star-Ledger analysis of the numbers shows the chances of graduating in four years are slim at many of the state's public and private schools." Public colleges and universities in NJ must post this information on their websites. The Higher Education Agency for each state should be able to provide this information for your state. www.hesaa.org Of the 27 schools featured in the article, only four had four year graduation rates better than 50% in 2008.
Colleges make the argument that the numbers are low for many reasons. Students drop out or transfer. They also say that many students change majors, thereby delaying their graduation. However, often a student needs extra time to get into all the courses required for a specific major due to overcrowding and limited offerings.
Whatever the reason, you need to know the rate at the schools in which you are interested. Unless you have the luxury of unlimited funds, this factor should certainly play a role in making your decision as to which college to attend.
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